"A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed tomorrow." - General George S. Patton Jr.

Isn't it interesting that one of the most valuable currencies of all in modern retailing is time - yet it is never really the direct topic for discussion.

Why do we disregard one of the most significant impacts of all the elements that influence us, including our customers and our perceptions? Fundamentally, it is time that is the single greatest product that the technological revolution has produced.

At the 2011 World Retail Conference (sounding “so last year” already?) we heard speakers such as Tommy Hilfiger speak about “real” time. That is, communicating with our customers in real time - being instant, simultaneous, interactive and above all now.

So what did we do prior to this? We communicated a message to our customers based on past trends, seasonal drops and historical forecasts. All the time we were thinking, guessing and hoping we had accurately predicted what they might want or need going forward.

We based our decisions not on real time, rather on past time.

So the first conclusion is that we must use all our available communication channels to communicate with our customers. Or to quote the more eloquent Tommy Hilfiger, "It’s about keeping up with the consumer, seeing in real time with the consumer through Twitter, Facebook and My Space, then listening to what they have to say.”

"A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed tomorrow." - General George S. Patton Jr.

Isn't it interesting that one of the most valuable currencies of all in modern retailing is time - yet it is never really the direct topic for discussion.

Why do we disregard one of the most significant impacts of all the elements that influence us, including our customers and our perceptions? Fundamentally, it is time that is the single greatest product that the technological revolution has produced.

At the 2011 World Retail Conference (sounding “so last year” already?) we heard speakers such as Tommy Hilfiger speak about “real” time. That is, communicating with our customers in real time - being instant, simultaneous, interactive and above all now.

So what did we do prior to this? We communicated a message to our customers based on past trends, seasonal drops and historical forecasts. All the time we were thinking, guessing and hoping we had accurately predicted what they might want or need going forward.

We based our decisions not on real time, rather on past time.

So the first conclusion is that we must use all our available communication channels to communicate with our customers. Or to quote the more eloquent Tommy Hilfiger, "It’s about keeping up with the consumer, seeing in real time with the consumer through Twitter, Facebook and My Space, then listening to what they have to say.”

Most small retail store owners know the importance of a killer window display. But why bother spending precious advertising dollars on signage inside your store?
That’s easy – your sales happen inside your store.
Foot traffic is crucial, but it doesn’t change the bottom line: your store needs sales to thrive. In-store signage can help solve a world of problems. Let’s look at three examples where attractive and organized signage can be a dealmaker.

Vietnam began to liberalize its economy in the 1980s, when the country’s leaders launched doi moi (or “renovation”). It was only after President Clinton lifted the US trade embargo in 1994, though, that multinationals began to pile in. Since then, Vietnam has taken off. In 2007, it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO)—just in time for the global financial crisis.

While many organizations have spent a lot of time and effort moving toward the very worthwhile goal of implementing content-filtering-based technology such as data leak prevention (DLP), the truth is that a lot of fundamental groundwork needs to be laid before an organization should even think of DLP. The following five steps are some very effective ways to improve data security in a cost-effective manner and are the first steps toward readying an organization for more robust data protection measures such as DLP.

Vietnam began to liberalize its economy in the 1980s, when the country’s leaders launched doi moi (or “renovation”). It was only after President Clinton lifted the US trade embargo in 1994, though, that multinationals began to pile in. Since then, Vietnam has taken off. In 2007, it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO)—just in time for the global financial crisis.

Most small retail store owners know the importance of a killer window display. But why bother spending precious advertising dollars on signage inside your store?
That’s easy – your sales happen inside your store.
Foot traffic is crucial, but it doesn’t change the bottom line: your store needs sales to thrive. In-store signage can help solve a world of problems. Let’s look at three examples where attractive and organized signage can be a dealmaker.

The financial management applications category is one of the most mature enterprise software sectors and the accounting application is one of the first tools that a growing company rolls out. In spite of its maturity and because of its indispensable nature, financial management tools need to continue evolving to meet the requirements of the business. It is essential, therefore, that the financial management tools of choice be supported by a successful vendor and a strong product management team.

It’s that time of year again. As 2011 winds down, financial experts are hard at work trying to predict what 2012 will hold in store for U.S. small businesses. Will it be more of the economic slump we’ve seen for the past few years — or are things finally starting to turn around?